How can I tell you?
by YnzYnz-chan
Summary: ONE-SHOT: Shounen-Ai "Being close to someone you truly love wasn't enough. Put them into words, before it's too late..."


One-shot

From the corner of his eyes, he followed the raven-haired guy gone to the locker room. He simply took a glanced at the wall clock to checked the time. _'Ah...it's quarter to eight...he'll be here soon to pick him up.' _He murmured to himself.

Just few minutes passed, the gym door opened revealed a very familiar silhouette. "Yo Sakuragi!" Greeted Mitsui. "Stay late as usual..." Then his former teammates sat on the sideline and watched him as he picking up the balls on the floor and putting them back on it's proper place.

"What's up Mitchi?!" Sakuragi said. "I'll go home early tonight...need to cook something for dinner." He replied without looking at his senpai. "How's college?"

"Hard...as always...have planned to pursued college? After five months I think..it's graduation day right? ...any plans to do?"

"I might go with Youhei in Osaka to work and study there..."

"Osaka? I see...well good luck." Mitsui answered. "Let's go Kaede. We'll be late." He yelled at the raven-haired guy when he saw him coming out from the locker room.

"Okay." Rukawa said in monotone and leave the redhead without saying any words.

"Ja Sakuragi...see you tomorrow." Mitsui said to the redhead currently wiping his sweat using his shirt.

"Bye..." As soon as the two was out of his sight, he slumped his ass on the floor and punched it. "_Shit_.!" He muttered.

As he felt the pain on his fist, he stand and went to the locker room to take a shower. He's full of regrets, blaming himself for being a coward. Being so frightened to tell how he felt about the certain kitsune.

It's been a two years now since they become friends. During his rehabilitation, after the time he got an injured on his back at the Inter High on his freshmen year, they become friends. The kitsune's training camp was luckily near the hospital he was in. It takes them a week before they finally open up and talked to each other during that time. Whenever Rukawa jogged near the hospital, he doesn't passed a chance to visit the redhead. Most of the time, he brought something to eat with him that they'll shared together.

When the redhead finally healed and can starts playing basketball again, Rukawa was the one who offered him and helped to regained his stamina and to review the basics again, which is surprised everyone at the team. Though most of the time they still as each others throat, Rukawa and Sakuragi managed to brought the team on top, for being the number one high school team in Japan since they sophomore year up until now.

And now...this is their senior year, their last year for being a team mates. For them being the _invincible duo_ of Kanagawa.

In the shower room, Sakuragi let the warm water to flows on his naked body as he staring at the wall as if he can see through it. It was too late for him to confessed his feelings for the kitsune. For how many days and nights he's planning about confessing his love for him. But in the end, no words can come out from him whenever he's alone with the kitsune.

During their sophomore year, Rukawa sometimes stayed over night at his house. The two of them alone together. Slowly, he felt awkward being alone with him. Every time the kitsune slept at his house, he can't helped himself watching and gazing at his pretty face. Now he finally understand why most of the girls head-over-hells about the kitsune, though there were some of the girls in school already noticed and acknowledged him as one of the good looking and best player of the team.

In the middle of their senior year, Rukawa mentioned him that his mother are getting married again and moving to Tokyo. He felt sad about the news, thinking that he'll be far away from him. That there'll be no chance on letting him know how much he loved him.

And the the good news came. He was really glad to hear that the kitsune will gonna finished his high school at Shohoku and little hope starts to build up again to his heart. He planned a lot of things on how he can say it right. He fully prepared himself in case he'd be dumped by him.

But surprisingly, just few weeks passed since his mother married again. He found out that Rukawa was living together with Mitsui. And Mitsui starts coming to pick him up after the training. All the courage he kept inside him turned to nothing. Suddenly everything he planned, he think on how he confessed on a particular kitsune was all gone. He wanted to disappeared when he found out about that.

Mistui was one of his close team mates, but not just a team mates also a good friend. After he graduated in Shohoku, Mitsui attends Kanagawa College and continued basketball. He respect him as his older brother just like the way he respect Akagi.

He knew that he can't be angry or held any grudge against the three-pointer genius coz he knew well that he doesn't any rights to do that. He is just Rukawa's friend...a team mate...nothing else.

Sakuragi just closed his eyes and cried in silent reminiscing all those wonderful times he had shared with him. If he just tell him earlier, what could happened? Are they gonna be a happy couple...or he will be dumped by him just like those girls he met before? And he sighed. He close the water and went out the shower booth. What done is done. No matter how he regrets everything, it's all his fault for being coward. It's too late for everything.

Xxxxxxx

Sakuragi walked slowly while looking up in the sky. He felt the very cold breeze of night and hugged himself. '_Yes...I'll go home early to make some ramen_.' And he smiled...sadly.

He heard a footsetps behind him and someone put a jacket on his shoulder. "What the...?" He startled and shouted. He turned around and see Sendoh widely smiling at him. "Smiley?"

"Konbanwa Hana-kun...sorry if I scared you..." He apologised on him. The spiky-hair guy moved closer to fixed the jacket he put on Sakuragi. "It's very cold tonight Hana-kun. You should brought much thicker jacket...you'll get sick. The Winter Cup is coming soon...right?"

Sakuragi felt so awkward being so close at him. "Smiley?" For some reason he blushed when he almost kissed the guy because of their closeness. He moved a little bit far from him and try to calm. "Thanks...for the jacket."

"You're welcome...actually I'm surprised, you're quite early tonight..."

Sakuragi look puzzled on what he said. "Early?" He asked.

Sendoh smile and stand closer to him. "I... I'm always...making sure you arrived home safely." He said with a unusual seriousness on his voice.

"But...why...you?"

"I've been watching you since the first time we've met...and... I always waiting for this chance to tell you..." Sendoh hold his chin and kissed him tenderly. "I love you...Hana-kun." And embraced him so tight.

Sakuragi was speechless on his confession. He could hear the spiky-hair guy heart beating so fast. He wanted to push him, to punch him but he can't. He treated him as one of his enemy since he met him. But just when Sendoh graduated high school, they started to see each other as a friend. The taller guy, to his surprised always call and asked him on one-on-one match. Though he never looked at him the same way he looked at Rukawa, he was at ease and glad to be close to him.

"Smiley...but...I..."

Sendoh out his finger to his lips avoiding him to finish in what he's going to say. "I know...Hana-kun. And I'm willing to wait..."

Finally...those tears he's been concealing was started to fall and he sobbed on Sendoh's chest. "Why...I...I...love him...but I don't know how I can tell him that I love him..."

"Shhh...Hana-kun. I understand how you feel...and nd it's the reason why I holding back because I knew you loved him... But seeing you hurting like this, I can't take it anymore. That's why I gathered all my strengths just to tell how I feel about you...before it's too late...to say that I'm in love with you...so please give me chance."

His teary eyes stared at him and smiled. "Smiley...but ...I don't know how much time I'll needed to forget him..."

"It's okay Hana-kun. I've waited for almost three years...and I'm willing to wait for more.."

"Sendoh..."

"Please...call me Akira..." He cupped his both cheek and kissed him on his forehead. "I love you Hana-kun. You don't need to answer now. I'm happy just to be close to you..."

Sakuragi slowly wrapped his arms to neck and smiled. "Hai...Akira. Please wait..." He gave him a peck on his lips. "I'm craving for ramen...wanna have some. I'll cook. "

"Sure...I miss your ramen by the way..."

Xxxxxx

_One month passed._

"Yo Mitsui-san, Rukawa-kun...staying late?"

"O...Sendoh...how are you...what are you doing here?" Mitsui asked. Looked surprised to see the the Ryonan former captain in Shohoku Gym.

"Akira!? Sorry for making you wait..." The redhead called just came out from the locker room.

"Hana-kun..it's fine I just arrived...ready?" Sendoh asked, whilst the other two guy in shocked by the way they call each others name.

"Yes. Ramen?"

"Sure...let's go." And Sendoh draped his arms on his shoulder and take the duffel bag from him. "Hmm...smells good Hana-kun. Hehehe..." sniffing the redhead's neck.

"Why...you hentai...smiley. " they heard the redhead yelled at the spiky-hair guy as they leave the gym, forgetting to say goodbye for both of them.

Rukawa suddenly fell on the floor and throw the ball he's holding. "Shit!" Why?!"

Mistui sit next to him and caress his back. "Told you so...you should tell him before."

"But I thought...he..."

"Baka! You know how stupid and dense he is! He wouldn't know unless you say it straight to his face. He misunderstood us...just like I always tell you..."

Rukawa clenched his both fists wanting to punched the floor but Mitsui stopped him. "Don't...it's your fault...for being coward."

"I was so sure...that he..."

"Yes...but you didn't say it. As I expected, he thought we're lovers! Don't you see his face whenever I came here to pick you up...despite he's smiling at me...I know him very well , deep inside his hurt...he's so damn jealous. How many times I told you to confess? But because you're so stubborn you didn't."

"What shall I do?" Rukawa asked desperately.

"Nothing...you're late...nothing you can do. You see how happy he is now with Sendoh... And you know how he likes Sakuragi since freshmen. Because you're so full of yourself that Sakuragi won't like him. Kaede...being close to him wasn't enough...you have to put in words especially for someone like him. Both of you were so dense and coward..."

Rukawa touched his face with both hands and sighed deeply. "Because...I don't know how to tell him..."

"Yes you're right. Both of you doesn't know how to tell it...that you're both in love with each other..."

"Is there any other way?.."

"No...he's over you...and don't do anything stupid to take him back. Come on...let's go home...we'll talk about it later...Mom and Dad visiting us tonight...they must be waiting now. Go and take your stuff." He said in a commanding voice.

"Yes..._onii-chan_..." Rukawa replied and slowly stood to take his bag in the locker room.

**A/N: just a one-shot..**


End file.
